Dan y Banc farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

600 m SW of the B4803 at the end of Dan y Banc Road , midway between Pontyates Bridge and Cynheidre.

History

C17 farmhouse to which an C18 farmhouse has been added, the older house remaining as a south wing. Deed evidence (Mansel Collection) commences in 1606. Present buildings dated by inscription to 1647. The new house might be of the time of John Humphreys, who opened a horse-gin pit at Dan y Banc farm in 1797. The later farmhouse was renovated in the C19 with change of architectural character. There appears to have been a lean-to at the front of the older house, now lost.

Exterior

The older house, at right, is of rubble masonry in local stone, the rear in particular being very irregular. Slate roof with tile ridges. Two unit plan as surviving with large chimney to right. The chimney is said to retain a bread oven (not accessible). Two windows above and the left window below are in original openings. The lower window at right has been widened. Left window below retains its cambered arch head. Similar head to the door with a projecting keystone and the date 1647 cut into the adjacent voussoirs. Modern storm porch. The rear elevation is of two windows above and two below, not aligned. The right-hand upper window was probably an upper doorway formerly, reached by outside stairs (now missing). The other three windows and the central doorway are all in original openings, those below having cambered stone arch heads. At the front of the older house there is a small raised paved area, with three steps centrally and iron railings.

The later house, at left, is of three storeys, a three-window range, with central door. Rendered masonry, slate roof with tile ridge, rendered end-chimneys reduced to ridge level. The frontage stands about 3 m forward of the older house. The walls are about 600 mm thick, rendered. Decorative window surrounds added in the C19, with quoins and sill-string course formed in the render, now painted black and white. The sashes are original but probably also reglazed in the C19. All front windows have hornless sashes: thin glazing bars, stone sills. Top windows of 6 panes, others of 12. Late C18 six-panel bolection moulded door with cast-iron semicircular fanlight. Probably C19 simple open porch with pilasters and two timber posts.

Interior

Interior of later house: two room plan with central entrance and rear dogleg stairs. Beneath the left room is a cellar, containing a well set into the rear wall (said to be a rare feature locally).

Reason for designation

Listed as a farmhouse of two periods with much unaltered detail, forming part of a complete farmstead group.